Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
2 Lord, listen to my voice; let your ears be attentive to my cry for help.
3 Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be revered.
5 I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word.
6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning—more than watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
8 And he will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
The Psalmist calls from the depths. Who does he call to? A personal God who is attentive and forgives. One who hears and responds. Why does God forgive? Because He wants to. He is compassionate and merciful. He is worthy of being revered.
SCRIPTURE READING:
2 Peter 1:16-21- The Message
16-18 We weren’t, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight.” We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears.
19-21 We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanksgiving to God.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you.
- Confess your sin to Him and receive forgiveness.
(1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins.”) - Bring your personal requests to God.
(Psalm 62:8 “Pour out your heart before God”) - Pray for someone in your small group.
- Join with others from River and pray for those who are leading our nation. Ask God to use them for His glory and use them for the good of others.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.” John 9
Peter referred to this event in his letter. Clearly it was impactful for him. John recorded the words of God, “Listen to him.” Peter gave other words from God: “With him I am well pleased.” Evidently God said several things, but each man recorded what stood out the most to him. The phrases fit well together. “I am well pleased with Jesus, listen to him.” God the Father is giving Jesus credibility. What Jesus said is inspired by God because he is God. In this event, called the “Transfiguration,” Jesus manifested physically some of his divine glory. There, with two major Old Testament figures in resurrected form, Peter saw the convergence of the past, present, and future. Jesus is the fulfillment of past prophecy, standing in the here and now, manifesting his future glory. No wonder, of all the events Peter could choose to refer to at this point in his letter, he chose this one. Jesus is the centerpiece of cosmic and human history. He is the hinge on which all of human destiny turns. We divide time between “BC and AD, “Before Christ” and “Anno Domini” (The year of our Lord). We do this with good reason; time and space itself are his creations. He will return to bring an end to this current age and usher in the age to come. Back to Peter on the mountain… He saw the Lord’s manifest glory, and he was afraid. Fear is the natural human response to overwhelming events. If his glory on that mountain, contained as it was, was overwhelming, imagine what it will be like at his return. The second coming of our Lord will be a “fearful” event, yet because of his second coming and the salvation he won for us, we need not fear him or his return. We look forward to it with anticipation and joy.